LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass this afternoon announced new steps the City of Los Angeles is taking to alleviate traffic in the wake of damage to the 10 freeway. Watch the update here. View photos here. Angelenos should visit emergency.lacity.gov for updated information.
This evening, Mayor Bass surveyed the impacts of the 10 freeway and assessed rush hour traffic with Fire Chief Kristin Crowley during a helicopter flyover in Downtown Los Angeles. View b-roll here. They continue to urge Angelenos not to travel to Downtown Los Angeles unless needed, and to stay on the freeway.
“It is clear that the traffic impacts of this closure are significant, which is why I want to stress to Angelenos that the City is locking arms with urgency to alleviate traffic and get our freeway back up and running,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “The fact that we are looking at weeks instead of months for the rebuild is encouraging, but that doesn’t change the urgency that we will continue to bring. It will not stop our continuous efforts to help mitigate the traffic impacts to communities and commuters. At this time we have to stand together.”
Alleviating Traffic and Preparing for Rain
The Mayor announced today that she has directed the Los Angeles City Department of Transportation to make commuter express buses free of charge to encourage Angelenos to use public transportation on their commutes. She has also directed the Department to assist Metro in making trains along the routes of the freeway closures go faster for Angelenos taking the train.
In preparation for the anticipated rain, Mayor Bass has directed the Department of Transportation to increase the amount of white-glove traffic officers in the congested area to assist commuters to get through intersections faster. LAHSA’s augmented winter shelter program has also been activated by direction of the Mayor for the unhoused population to move inside and shelter from the rain. Angelenos can find more information at https://www.lahsa.org/winter-shelter.
Reducing Future Risk
The Mayor has directed Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristen Crowley to immediately begin surveying similar areas under overpasses and identifying spots that may be of concern in order to take a proactive posture of prevention. That effort began today and results will be announced when available.
Expediting the Rebuild
The Mayor recognized the good news announced this morning and noted that the timeline will not change the urgency that the Mayor along with local, state and federal officials will continue to bring in their continuous efforts to help mitigate the traffic impacts to communities and commuters.
Supporting Impacted Businesses
Many businesses in and around downtown have been affected by the closure. Mayor Bass and her Deputy Mayor of Business and Economic Development today released a compiled list of state, federal and local resources available for impacted businesses. Resources will also be available on emergency.lacity.gov. The Mayor’s Office of Community Engagement has canvassed the businesses of the area and are actively engaged in order to provide support. In the coming weeks the Mayor will convene impacted business leaders to directly provide resources and support.
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As she continues to treat this crisis with the urgency required, Mayor Bass will continue to be in direct contact with the White House and the Governor’s Office to ensure that the freeway is being worked on 24/7 until it is reopened.
Earlier this morning, Mayor Bass, Governor Newsom and other regional leaders provided an update on the 10 freeway closures where the Governor announced a timeline for repair. Watch this morning’s update here.
On Sunday evening, the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department issued a city-wide wireless emergency alert directing Angelenos to emergency.lacity.gov. Information is also being posted on Nextdoor and the City’s social media channels.
On the day of the fire, Mayor Bass activated the Emergency Operations Center as the city rapidly worked to respond to this damage. Angelenos should visit emergency.lacity.gov/updates for information about closures, alternative routes and public transportation options by going Metro.
The Mayor has directed all City departments to urgently respond to this fire by:
Ensuring that there’s a plan for Angelenos who commute or live by this incident
Working to get the 10 freeway up and running again as fast as possible
Providing as much information as possible to ensure that our communities and commuters are well informed every step of the way
Many hundreds of thousands of Angelenos will be impacted by this closure, which is why the Mayor is treating this issue with such urgency. During the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Caltrans worked around the clock to complete emergency repairs to the freeways, and this structural damage calls for the same level of urgency and effort.
The Office of Mayor Karen Bass will hold 6:00 AM PT traffic updates every morning for the remainder of the week and will be livestreamed here. Angelenos should continue to visit emergency.lacity.gov for up to date information.